Introduction

Does Mortenson get the order right?

In his passion to refute old-earth creationism,
Terry Mortenson presents his young-earth interpretations of Genesis 1 as biblical
“facts” and criticizes old-earth creationists–calling them
“evolutionized Christians” who play “fast and loose with the sacred text.” A better
approach to the age of the Earth debate is to avoid name calling and examine
arguments on both sides of the issue to see whether they are biblically
defensible...

Rich Deem

An article by Dr. Terry Mortenson–“Evolution vs.
Creation: the Order of Events Matters”–claims long creation days only seem
reasonable to those who pay insufficient attention to the order of events in
Genesis 1.1 The only way the day-age view can be harmonized with
Genesis, it asserts, is by rearranging the biblical creation events. As
proof, the article cites what Mortenson contends are numerous conflicts
between science and Genesis 1.

General comments

Before addressing those supposed conflicts, several
remarks about the day-age view warrant a response. First, Mortenson claims
the Bible gives abundant evidence the creation “days” are to be understood
as 24-hour days. Many notable Christians disagree.2 There is no
scriptural or hermeneutical requirement the creation “days” must be
interpreted as 24-hour time periods. Indeed, because the Bible does not say
exactly how old the earth is, a diversity of views on the “days” of Genesis
has always been completely acceptable in the church.3

Second, Mortenson contends the day-age view of millions
of years of animal death before the creation of man contradicts the Bible’s
teaching about sin and death. The Bible speaks of sin, death and spiritual
redemption. This limits the meaning to human death. For these teachings to
apply to animals, Christ’s redemptive work would have to extend to animals,
which is implausible. Such a wide interpretation of the scope of the
atonement has no scriptural support.4

Third, Mortenson states the day-age view is based on
the false assumption science has proven long ages, pointing to young-earth
articles contesting radiometric dating, light travel time and other things.
The evidence for an old earth is overwhelming and incontrovertible.
Multitudes of dating methods–both radiometric and non-radiometric–present a
consistent picture, indicating the earth’s age is best measured in millions
or billions of years, not thousands of years.5

Fourth, Mortenson alleges the young-earth view was the
orthodox view in the church until about 200 years ago. Prior to the advent
of modern science, most people did believe the Earth was relatively young.
It was simply beyond the scientific understanding of the day to think
otherwise. However, throughout history, many church fathers, scholars and
theologians have viewed the “days” of Genesis as not being ordinary calendar
days and the age of the earth has never been a test of orthodoxy in the
church.6

Now let’s examine the central claim of the article.
Mortenson presents two columns of information. The first column lists the
scientific order of various events; the second column the biblical order of
those events. As presented, the two views disagree. The question is whether
Mortenson’s statements accurately reflect the scientific and biblical views
of those events.

In the remainder of this paper, I will scrutinize the
information in those columns. First, I will examine whether Mortenson’s
statements about the biblical order of events agree with the text of Genesis
1. Next, I will examine the accuracy of Mortenson’s statements regarding the
scientific order of events and whether science contradicts the Bible.
Finally, I will address the issue of animal death before the Fall, which
Mortenson claims is contrary to Genesis 1.

GENESIS 1

Mortenson’s statements regarding the biblical order of
events correspond to four creations in Genesis 1–namely, the creation of the
universe, earth, plants and animals. My comments are organized accordingly.

The Universe

Mortenson states the Bible teaches the Earth was
created before the Sun, stars and other planets. He also states there was
light on Earth before the Sun was created. This is tied to the events of the
fourth creation “day” (Genesis 1:14-19):

14 And God said, "Let there
be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and
let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them
be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was
so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the
lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in
the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and
the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was
good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning–the fourth day.
(NIV)

Verse 16 tells us God made the Sun, Moon and stars on
the fourth “day.” Most young-earth creationists focus on the English
translation and interpret this verse to mean God created the Sun and Moon
that instant. The Hebrew does not support that interpretation. The Hebrew
word for “made” (asah) refers to an action completed in the past.7
Thus, the verse is correctly rendered “God had made” rather than “God made.”
This indicates God “had made” the Sun, Moon and stars earlier than the
fourth “day.”8

This view of the fourth “day” has broad support. For example, Gleason
Archer, one of the foremost evangelical Hebrew scholars, states: “Verse 16
should not be understood as indicating the creation of the heavenly bodies
for the first time on the fourth creative day...9
Likewise, Protestant theologian Wayne Grudem states: “[Verse 16] Can be
taken as perfects indicating what God had done before … This view would
imply that God had made the sun, moon, and stars earlier …”10

So, when were the Sun, Moon and stars created? Genesis
1:1 tells us, “Inthe beginning God created the heavens and the
earth.” The Hebrew phrase “the heavens and the earth” (hashamayim we
ha’ erets) refers to the entire universe, entire creation and everything
that can be seen or has physical existence.11 This indicates the
heavenly bodies–the Earth, Sun, Moon, stars and other planets–were created
“in the beginning” prior to the six creation “days.”

Mortenson contends the Earth was created before the
other planets. This is because young-earth creationists assume the other
planets are among the “lights” God created on the fourth “day.” The text
does not support that view. There is no mention of the other planets in the
narrative of the fourth “day.” Verse 16 speaks only of the Sun to govern the
day, the Moon to govern the night and the stars.

The claim there was light on Earth before the Sun was
created is another artifact of the young-earth model. The Bible states on
the first creation “day” God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3).
Because the young-earth model places the creation of the Sun on the fourth
“day,” young-earth creationists insist this light came from a different
source–many attribute it to God’s radiance (His Shekhinah glory). This is an
unnecessary and strained interpretation. The text indicates the light God
caused to appear on the first “day” was illumination from the sun in the
daytime. This fact is specifically stated in Genesis 1:5.12

Based on the Hebrew word meanings, the following
picture emerges. “In the beginning” God created the universe–the Sun, Moon,
stars, Earth and planets (1:1). In verse 2, the viewpoint changes to the
surface of the Earth (the Spirit of God was hovering “over the waters”).
Initially, the Earth was dark (1:2). On the first “day,” God caused sunlight
to penetrate the darkness (1:3-5). On the fourth “day,” God caused the Sun,
Moon and stars to become visible from the surface of the Earth (1:19-20),
having made them earlier (1:16) as part of His creative activity prior to
the six creation “days.”

An additional point should be made about the verb
“made” (asah) in verse 16. Asah means to fabricate or fashion
something13 and is different from the Hebrew verb “create” (bara)
used elsewhere in Genesis 1. Bara means to bring forth something
brand new by divine fiat.14 God made (asah) the Sun, Moon
and stars; He did not bara them. This suggests the heavenly bodies
were not instantaneous creations but something God fashioned from the raw
materials He created “in the beginning.”

It should also be noted that Genesis 1 does not
describe the establishment of calendar days on Earth until the fourth
creation “day.” Although the light-dark cycle began on the first “day,” it
was not until the fourth “day” God commanded the Sun, Moon and stars to
become visible to mark days, seasons and years.15 This is a
strong point against the young-earth view that the creation “days” were
normal days. At least the first three “days,” preceded God’s establishment
of calendar days.

The Earth

According to Mortenson, the Bible teaches the sea
preceded the atmosphere and the appearance of dry land. This is tied to the
events of the second (Genesis 1:6-8) and third (Genesis 1:9-10) “days”:

6 And God said, "Let there
be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God
made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water
above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was
evening, and there was morning–the second day. (NIV)

9 And God said, "Let the
water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear."
And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters
he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. … the third day. (NIV)

The narrative of the second creation “day” speaks of
God separating the waters–the water of the land from the water of the sky.
This parallels a section of Psalm 104, known as the “creation Psalm.” There,
God is depicted creating the upper waters, the watery clouds of heaven
(104:3), and the lower waters of the earth (104:6).16 Thus, it
seems evident Genesis 1 is describing an atmospheric division involving
water, not the creation of the Earth’s atmosphere (i.e., the air surrounding
the Earth).

This is supported by the description of the initial
conditions of the Earth in Genesis 1:2–“Now the earth was formless and
empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep…” Why was the Earth
dark? The answer is found in Job 38: “Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and
wrapped it in thick darkness …” (verse 8-9). Job tells us the Earth was
dark because a thick cloud layer blanketed it. These clouds indicate the
Earth had an atmosphere prior to the six creation “days.”

The Bible does say the early Earth was covered by
water. Clearly, this was the case on the third “day” when God commanded the
water to gather to one place and for dry ground appear (1:9). The statement
in verse 2–“the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters”–also seems to
suggest the Earth was covered by water prior to the six creation “days,”
although it is not explicitly stated in the text. The question is whether
the Earth was always covered with water. At issue are the first two verses
of Genesis 1:

1In the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless
and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God
was hovering over the waters. (NIV)

These verses speak of two time periods: God’s work “in
the beginning” and the conditions of the early Earth before God began to
refashion it. Because the Bible does not tell us what transpired between
these two verses, Genesis 1:2 places no restriction on the age of the Earth.17
It is entirely possible eons had passed since God created “the heavens and
the earth” and the Earth had been dry some point prior to verse 2.

The Plants

Mortenson maintains the Bible teaches plants were
created before the Sun, fruit trees before other plants, land plants before
sea creatures, trees before land animals and flowering plants before
insects. This is tied to the events of the second half of the third creation
“day” (Genesis 1:11-13):

11 Then God said, "Let the
land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear
fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12
The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds
and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God
saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning–the
third day. (NIV)

The narrative of the third “day” tells us God caused
the land to produce two types of vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees
bearing fruit. The Hebrew word for “plant” (eseb) refers to green
grasses and herbs.18 The Hebrew word for “tree” (ets)
connotes plants with woody stalks.19 From this, we have a general
idea of the vegetation the land was to produce. However, we do not know the
specific plants and trees that appeared, nor do the Hebrew word meanings
seem to encompass all the plant life on the Earth.

Mortenson’s claim that plants were created before the
Sun is based on the young-earth contention the Sun was created on the fourth
“day.” Since this issue was addressed previously, I will focus on
Mortenson’s other statements.

Mortenson states the Bible teaches fruit trees were
created before other plants. He notes “the order mentioned in Scripture
suggests a slight difference in the timing of their appearance; i.e., they
were created on the same day, possibly moments or hours apart.” The text
simply states God commanded the land to produce both plants and trees.
Nevertheless, if we use Mortenson’s line of reasoning, the text would
indicate plants were created before trees.

According to Mortensen, the Bible teaches plants and
trees were created before sea and land creatures. The Bible does indicate
sea creatures were created on the fifth “day” and land creatures on the
sixth “day.” However, we need to be careful not to read too much into the
narrative of the third “day.” The Hebrew phrase at the end of verse 11, “and
it was so,” is better translated “and it did come to pass.” This indicates
the command was completed but it does not indicate an immediate
completion–it could have been completed in the future.20 Thus, it
is entirely possible the land continued to produce new plants and trees well
into the following “days.”

Mortenson contends the Bible teaches flowering plants
were created before insects. This is based on the belief that flying insects
were created with birds on the fifth “day” and crawling insects with land
animals on the sixth “day.” The text does not support that view. The Hebrew
words for the birds and land animals God created do not normally refer to
insects (discussed in the next section). Since insects play a critical role
in the pollination of many plants, we are left with two possibilities:
either God created plants and insects together, or God pollinated the plants
until insects were created. We can speculate, but the Bible is silent on
this issue.

It is worth noting that the verb “produce” (dasha)
in verse 11 (“shall bring forth” in some translations) represents an
incomplete action. It indicates the land was to be the agent producing the
command. This, with the ending phrase “and it did come to pass,” implies
this command took longer than 24 hours to complete. A completion within 24
hours would require that we ignore the usual meanings of these words.21
This provides strong support for the view the third “day” was not a 24-hour
period.

The Animals

Mortenson makes numerous statements regarding what the
Bible teaches about the creation of animals: starfish before earthworms,
dolphins before dinosaurs, birds before dinosaurs and reptiles, pterosaurs
before land reptiles, whales and bats before land animals, mammals (cattle)
before “creeping things” and flying insects before land insects. This is
tied to the events of the fifth (Genesis 1:20-23) and sixth (Genesis
1:24-25) creation “days”:

20 And God said, "Let the
water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across
the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea
and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to
their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that
it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in
number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the
earth. … the fifth day.” (NIV)

24 And God said, "Let the
land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures
that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind."
And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the
livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along
the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. …
the sixth day.” (NIV)

The narrative of the fifth “day” describes the creation
of two types of sea creatures: great creatures and creatures with which the
water teems. The Hebrew word for great creatures (tanniyn) refers to
“enormous creatures or whales.”22 The Hebrew word for the other
creatures (sherets) means swarming things.23 In verse 20,
both these creatures are referred to as “living things.” The Hebrew word
used here (nephesh) connotes creatures with the attributes of mind,
will and emotion.24 This indicates the sea creatures created on
the fifth “day” were not fish but air-breathing mammals–whales, dolphins,
porpoises and the like.25

The narrative of the fifth “day” also states God
created “every winged bird.” The Hebrew word used here (owph) means
to fly and is normally restricted to birds. For example, this is the term
used to describe the birds Noah took aboard the ark. It can refer to flying
insects. However, in that usage, it is usually combined with the Hebrew word
sheres connoting “winged creeping thing” (e.g., Leviticus 11:20-23).26
The usage here seems to restrict the meaning to birds.

One possible exception is bats. Bats are listed among
the unclean birds (owph) the Jews were instructed not to eat in
Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. Some take this to mean the created owph
included bats. Others claim the dietary statements have no bearing on
Genesis 1–bats were listed with birds because the people of that day would
not have understood the distinction between birds and mammals. The bottom
line is we cannot rule out the possibility the owph on the fifth
“day” included bats.

The narrative of the sixth creation “day” speaks of the
creation of three types of land animals: livestock, creatures that move
along the ground and wild animals. The Hebrew word for livestock (behema)
refers to large four-footed mammals that are easy to domesticate.27
The Hebrew word for creatures that move along the ground (remes)
refers to the locomotion of small creatures–small rodents and certain small
reptiles.28 The Hebrew word for wild animals (chay) means
wild or alive. Chay comes from the root haya that conveys
living life to the fullest.29 Because this requires the
attributes of mind, will and emotion; chay seems to refer to wild
mammals.

Many young-earth creationists assume the creatures that
move along the ground (remes) include crawling insects. However, a
Hebrew word with a similar meaning, sheres, is normally used for
those creatures. Sheres is also used to refer to creatures that glide
or have many legs such as snakes, spiders and caterpillars.30

Based on the Hebrew word meanings, it is evident the
text does not describe the creation of all sea and land creatures. The fifth
“day” speaks of whales and other sea mammals, while the sixth “day” speaks
of large mammals, small mammals and certain small reptiles. Therefore, we
can only speculate as to where fish, amphibians, large reptiles, dinosaurs,
insects and a host of other sea and land creatures fit into the scheme of
the six creation “days.”

Many of Mortenson’s statements go beyond the details of
the biblical text. We simply cannot say with certainty if starfish preceded
earthworms, birds and dolphins preceded dinosaurs, pterosaurs preceded land
reptiles, and flying insects preceded land insects. He interprets the
narratives of the fifth and sixth “days” to mean God created all sea and air
creatures before He created land creatures. The text does not support that
view. The Hebrew terms clearly do not encompass all of the creatures of the
sea, land and air.31

Mortenson states mammals preceded creeping things (the
KJV translation for remes). He notes the order mentioned in Scripture
suggests a slight difference in the timing of their appearance; i.e., they
were created on the same day, possibly moments or hours apart. The text
gives no indication the different land animals were created sequentially.

According to Mortenson, bats preceded land animals. As
stated previously, it is unclear if bats were created with birds on the
fifth “day.” If they were, they would have preceded only those land animals
specified in the narrative of the sixth “day”–certain mammals and small
reptiles.

Mortenson claims whales preceded land animals. The
Bible does indicate whales were created on the fifth “day” and the land
animals on the sixth “day.” Again, that does not include all land
animals–only certain mammals and small reptiles.

Finally, Mortenson alleges that birds preceded
reptiles. The Bible does indicate birds were created on the fifth “day” and
reptiles (remes) on the sixth “day.” However, the Hebrew word
remes does include all reptiles. It refers only to small, modern
reptiles common to the area of Palestine.32

It is important to note the verbs used in the
narratives of the fifth and sixth “days.” The Bible states God created (bara)
the sea creatures and birds. This indicates they were instantaneous
creations by divine fiat. However, the text tells us God commanded the land
to produce the land animals. The Hebrew verb used here, yatsar, has
the meaning of “to cause to come forth.”33 This suggests the land
animals were not instantaneous creations but something God may have
introduced over time.

It should also be added that, according to the
young-earth model, God created all land the animals–both living and
extinct–in a 24-hour period. Thus, they would have all been on the Earth
simultaneously. The narrative of sixth “day” does not support that view. The
Hebrew terms clearly do not encompass all the land animals and the verb
usage (yatsar) suggests a creative process of longer than 24 hours.

SCIENCE

In this section, I will examine the scientific view of
the origin of the universe, earth, plants and animals. I will also address
the issue of whether science contradicts Genesis 1.

The Universe

Mortenson states science puts the Sun and stars before
the Earth, the other planets at the same time as the Earth, and the Sun
before light on the Earth. These statements accurately reflect the
mainstream view known as big bang cosmology.

The Big Bang Theory postulates the universe sprang into
existence from nothing some 13.8 billion years ago. It began as a very
small, dense singularity. Since then, the universe has expanded into the
vast cosmos we inhabit. Thus, all matter, energy, space and time are the
result of this single cosmic event dubbed the “big bang.”

How was our solar system formed? Scientists believe,
after the big bang, there were fluctuations in the density of the universe.
Eventually, gravity condensed clumps of matter together into gaseous clouds
and formed protogalaxies. Within our region of space, this molecular cloud
was disturbed (perhaps by the explosion of a nearby star) and waves in space
squeezed the cloud causing it to collapse. As gravity pulled the gas and
dust together, the cloud began to spin. Eventually, the spinning disk became
hot and dense in the center and cool at the edges. When the density and
temperature high enough at the center, fusion ignition occurred, creating
the Sun. Meanwhile, at the cool edges, particles collided and clumped
together (a process known as accretion) to form the planets, all of which
are about the same age.34

The Big Bang Model has been subjected to numerous tests
and thus far agrees with virtually all the data. Three compelling reasons to
believe big bang cosmology are the Hubble expansion, cosmic microwave
background and big bang nucleosynthesis. Hubble Expansion is the observed
phenomenon that all galaxies (outside our local group of galaxies) appear to
be moving away from us, implying the universe is expanding. Cosmic microwave
background is observable radiation left over from the big bang. Big bang
nucleosynthesis is the process by which lighter elements (such as hydrogen,
helium and lithium) were formed. Scientists can calculate how much of which
elements should have formed and observations agree with those calculations.35

Scientific resistance to the big bang arises not from
the data but from its profound theological implications–implications of a
transcendent cosmic creation event and of supernatural design in so many of
the universe’s characteristics.36 That is the reason most of the
competing models (e.g., infinite universes) seek to downplay the uniqueness
of our universe and eliminate the need for a beginning. Since many atheists
resisted the big bang model until the evidence compelled its acceptance, it
is fallacious to characterize it as an atheistic proposal.

Does science conflict with the Bible? No. The Bible
tells us the universe was formed at God’s command from nothing that preceded
it (Hebrews 11:3). This agrees perfectly with the scientific view of an
initial “big bang.” The Bible speaks of the universe being “stretched out.”
This fits the big bang concept of cosmic expansion.37 The Bible
also tells us God created the heavens and the earth “in the beginning” but
does not specify how it occurred. Therefore, it is entirely possible that
God created the heavens and the Earth through a series of events consistent
with big bang cosmology.

As to the issue of light on Earth, science maintains
our young solar system was filled with a cloud of gas, dust and debris. As
the Earth cooled and its gravitational field strengthened, it attracted
meteorites and other objects that bombarded the earth for over 500 million
years (known as the Hadean Era).38 Thus, although the Sun ignited
before the Earth formed, the early Earth would have been surrounded by a
thick, dense mixture of cosmic gases and debris that blocked the sunlight
for many millions of years.

Does this conflict with the Bible? No. The Bible tells
us the earth was dark and formless as God prepared to begin His creative
activity on Earth. On the first “day,” God separated light from darkness and
caused daylight to appear. On the fourth “day,” God caused the Sun, Moon and
stars to appear in the sky. This agrees perfectly with the scientific view
of the early Earth. Initially, the atmosphere would have been opaque and
blocked all sunlight. Over time, the atmosphere would have become
translucent, allowing some sunlight to penetrate the darkness (the first
“day”). Later, the atmosphere would have become transparent, revealing the
heavenly bodies in the sky (the fourth “day”).

The Earth

According to Mortenson, science puts dry land and an
atmosphere before the sea on Earth. These statements accurately reflect the
scientific view of the early earth. However, it is important to clarify the
nuances of that view.

As previously stated, scientists believe the early
Earth experienced impact events for over 500 million years in the Hadean
Era. Some of these events would have produced enough energy to vaporize the
surface of the Earth. Thus, the Earth would have been mainly molten liquid
at that time.39 As the bombardments ceased and the planet cooled,
lighter elements rose to the surface and hardened to form the outer crust of
the Earth.

During the same general time period, scientists believe
the outgassing of gases trapped in the interior of the Earth began to form
an atmosphere around the Earth.40 Eventually, the atmosphere
cooled to the point water began to condense and heavy rains poured down on
the planet. After several hundred million years of constant rain, great
oceans formed on the surface.41 The extent to which the water
covered the Earth cannot be verified; however, many scientists believe the
quantity of water was sufficient to cover the entire planet.42

Scientists generally agree the continents formed
several hundred million years later.43 This occurred as molten
rock rose upward and erupted to form “island arcs.” These arcs slowly
drifted across the planet and clumped together; forming progressively larger
pieces of land that eventually became continents.44 This was the
result of plate tectonics.

According to plate tectonics theory, the uppermost
portion of Earth’s interior consists of two parts: the lithosphere, the
solidified top layer, and an inner viscous layer known as the asthenosphere.
The lithosphere exists as separate and distinct “tectonic plates” that float
on the fluid-like asthensophere. It is the movement of these “plates” that
causes the formation and breakup of continents. Mountain ranges and other
features of the Earth’s surface are also the result of tectonic compression,
folding and faulting produces.45

Does science conflict with the Bible? No. Genesis 1:2
indicates the Earth had an atmosphere and was covered by water prior to the
six creation “days.” This agrees with the scientific view of the Earth in
the latter stages of the Hadean Era. According to science, the continents
appeared after the great oceans formed (through plate tectonics). Again,
there is no conflict with Scripture. The Bible tells us on the third “day,”
God separated the water and caused dry land to appear. The Hebrew verb in
this passage (hayah) means to come into existence.46
Because the land was not an instantaneous bara creation, the land
could have appeared gradually as God orchestrated the process of plate
tectonics.

The Bible does not tell us what the Earth was like
prior to Genesis 1:2. Therefore, the Bible does not rule out the possibility
the Earth began as a hot, dry planet. Young-earth creationists seem to
assume, in order for Genesis 1 to be compatible with science, the Bible
would have to state the earth was hot and dry at some point in the past.
That is unreasonable. Genesis 1 is a short account of God’s creative work
that omits many details. The fact some details are missing has no bearing on
the truth of the statements it does make. It merely indicates that God did
not feel those details were critical to the message He wanted to communicate
to us.47

Mortenson contends that the Bible teaches the
atmosphere was created after the Earth was covered with water. This is based
on the belief the atmosphere was created on the second “day.” As discussed
previously, the second “day” describes an atmospheric division involving
water, not the establishment of the Earth’s atmosphere. Genesis 1:2
indicates the earth was covered by water and had an atmosphere prior to the
six creation “days.”

Mortenson also claims science rejects the idea of a
global ocean and accuses Hugh Ross of being “badly uninformed” for saying
the earth began with water covering the surface. However, it is Morrison who
is mistaken. Support for a global ocean comes from three facts. First, the
rain that fell on the early Earth for millions of years would have been of
global proportions.48 Second, comet impacts during the late
Hadean Era would have increased the net amount of water on the Earth.49
Third, the surface of the Earth would have been relatively flat due to the
impact events that had liquefied the surface.50 Therefore, the
idea of a global ocean is not a far-fetched as Mortenson would have readers
believe.

The Plants

Mortenson contends that science puts the sun before
plants, simple plants before fruit plants, sea creatures before land plants,
land animals before trees and insects before flowering plants. Based on the
preceding discussions, it is clear the first statement–the sun before
plants–accurately reflects the view of science. Let’s examine the other
statements.

According to science, life first appeared in the sea
about 3.8 billion years ago in the form of single-celled microorganisms.
These were prokaryotes–single-celled organisms with no nucleus–such as
blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). Next eukaryotes appeared–single-celled
organisms with a nucleus–about 1.8 billion years ago. These included green
algae that many scientists consider the first plants.51

Scientists believe the first plant life on the land was
algae and cyanobacteria.52 It is not known precisely when they
first appeared but some researchers place them at about 1.3 billion years
ago.53 However, it is generally agreed that the first real
“plants” (multicellular organisms) appeared about 700 million years ago.
These were seedless, spore-producing plants known as the bryophytes–mosses,
lichens and liverworts.54

The bryophytes were followed by a series of
progressively more complex plants. First, spore-producing vascular plants
(plants with water-conducting tissue) appeared about 425 million years ago.
Next, spore-producing progymnosperms and lycophytes appeared about 410
million years ago.55 (The progymnosperms can be considered the
first trees because they produced secondary growth or wood each year.56)
The first seed-bearing plants, the gymnosperms, appeared about 390 million
years ago. Finally, about 145 million years ago, the first angiosperms
appeared–flowering plants with seeds enclosed in fruit. By about 100 million
years ago, the angiosperms dominated the land, from grasses (rice, wheat,
etc.), to fruit trees.57

The scientific model is based on fossil evidence.58
Of course; it is possible plants appeared earlier than the fossil record
indicates. As a result, the dates assigned to the various types of plants
should be seen as approximate timeframes.

Mortenson states science places simple plants before
fruit trees. This is correct. Does this conflict with the Bible? No. The
Bible tells us God commanded the land to produce seed-bearing plants and
fruit-bearing trees. It does not speak of all plant life on the Earth.
Hence, God could have introduced a series of simple plants before the plants
and trees He created on the third “day.”

According to Mortenson, science places insects before
flowering plants. This is also correct. Science places the first insects in
the Devonian Period, about 400 million years ago.59 The first
flowering plants–the angiosperms–appeared 145 million years ago. Does
science conflict with the Bible? No. The Bible does not tell us when insects
were created. It should be noted, however, that science places the
appearance of pollinating insects much later, at about the same time as the
appearance of the flowering plants. This would seem reasonable from a
creationist perspective.

Mortenson claims science places sea creatures before
land plants. This is incorrect. Science places the first true plants–the
bryophytes–at about 700 million years ago. Sea creatures appeared much later
(in the Cambrian Explosion of 540 million years ago or the earlier Vendian
Period).60 Does science conflict with the Bible? No. The Bible
speaks only of seed-bearing plants and sea mammals. Science places the first
seed-bearing plants–the gymnosperms–at 390 million years ago. The sea
mammals described in the narrative of the fifth “day” would have appeared in
the upper Tertiary Period, around 30 million years ago.61

Mortenson also incorrectly maintains that science
places land animals before trees. Science places the first trees–the
progymnosperms–at over 400 million years ago. The first terrestrial animals
appeared in the late Devonian or early Carboniferous Period, about 360
million years ago.62 Does science conflict with the Bible? No.
The Bible places fruit-bearing trees on the third “day” and land mammals and
small reptiles on the sixth “day.” Science places the first fruit trees– the
angiosperms–at 145 to 100 million years ago. The land animals described in
the bible would have appeared in the upper Tertiary Period, around 30
million years ago.63

Some Christians are uncomfortable with the idea of
vegetation gradually appearing on the Earth in progressively more complex
forms because it seems to support naturalistic evolution. They assume
creationism requires an instantaneous creation of the plant life on Earth.
However, the Bible does not demand that. The text tells us it was the land
that was to produce the plants. Therefore, God could have introduced plants
in a stepwise manner–each group of plants perfectly suited to the conditions
on Earth and designed to transform the planet for the eventual creation of
human beings.

The Animals

Mortenson states science puts earthworms before
starfish, reptiles and dinosaurs before birds, land mammals before whales
and bats, insects before mammals and land insects before flying insects,
dinosaurs before dolphins and land reptiles before pterosaurs. As stated
previously, many of these statements are beyond the level of detail of the
biblical narratives of the fifth and sixth creation “days.” Nevertheless,
let’s briefly examine them.

Scientists postulate sometime after
eukaryotes–single-celled organisms with a nucleus– appeared in the seas,
some diverged into animal cells about 1 billion to 700 million years ago.64
Of course, this is based on the evolutionary paradigm. In reality, it is
difficult, if not impossible, to differentiate primitive animal eukaryotes
from plant eukaryotes.

Some scientists believe the first multicellular
creatures appeared in the seas during the Vendian Period of 650 to 540
million years ago. They believe these organisms resembled worms, soft-bodied
relatives of the arthropods (creatures with an exoskeleton) and cnidarians
(jellyfish, coral, etc.). However, not all scientists agree with this
interpretation because the fossil record of this period is extremely sparse
and open to interpretation.65

The first uncontested record of multicellular creatures
is in the Cambrian Period, beginning 540 million years ago. This is known as
the “Cambrian explosion,” a time when representatives of all the modern
phyla (groupings of animals based on their external or internal
characteristics) suddenly appeared in the sea. This includes such things as
sponges, jellyfish, corals, starfish, sea cucumbers, sea worms, mollusks and
some vertebrates.66

From there, the scientific model shows a series of
progressively more complex animals appearing–first in the sea, then on land.
Sharks and primitive fish appeared in the Ordovician Period, about 450
million years ago. Insects and amphibians appeared in the Devonian Period,
about 400 million years ago. The first reptiles appeared in the
Carboniferous Period, about 320 million years ago. The first dinosaurs and
mammals appeared in the Triassic Period about 250 million years ago. The
first birds appeared in the Jurassic Period about 150 million years ago.
Whales and the more modern varieties mammals and reptiles appeared in the
Tertiary Period–the first whales about 50 million years ago, modern mammals
and reptiles around 30 million years ago. The first hominids (bipedal
primates) appeared from 5 to 1.8 million years ago. Finally, human beings
appeared, about 40,000 to 100,000 years ago.67

Scientists generally agree on the order in which the
major animal groups appeared. For the most part, the sequence of events is
supported by fossil evidence.68 However, dates are being
constantly adjusted as new discoveries are made. There are also
controversial areas such when the first birds and whales appeared.
Therefore, it is very important to distinguish between facts and
interpretations when examining the scientific view of the appearance of the
animals.

Mortenson claims science places earthworms before
starfish. This is incorrect. Science places starfish in the Cambrian
Period–about 540 million years ago–long before the appearance of the first
land creatures.69Does this conflict with the Bible? No. The
Bible does not specify when earthworms and starfish were created. Mortenson
assumes starfish were created with sea creatures on the fifth “day” and
earthworms with land animals on the sixth “day.” The Hebrew word meanings do
not support that interpretation.

Mortenson states science places reptiles and dinosaurs
before birds. This is correct. Science places the first reptiles in the
Carboniferous Period, about 320 million years ago, and the first dinosaurs
in the Triassic Period, about 250 million years ago.70 The first
birds are placed in the Jurassic Period, about 150 million years ago,
although recent discoveries, such as Protoavis, suggest true birds
may have appeared around the time of the first dinosaurs.71 Does
this conflict with the Bible? No. The Bible does not specify when dinosaurs
were created. The narrative of the sixth “day” speaks only of small, modern
reptiles. These reptiles would have appeared in the upper Tertiary Period,
about 30 million years ago, long after the first birds.

Mortenson’s statement that science places land mammals
before whales is correct. Science places the first land mammals in the
Triassic Period, about 250 million years ago, and the first whales in the
Tertiary Period, about 50 million years ago.72 Does this conflict
with the Bible? No. The Bible tells us whales were created on the fifth
“day” and land mammals on the sixth “day.” However, the narrative of the
sixth “day” only speaks only of advanced land mammals: wild and easy to
domesticate large mammals and small, low to the ground mammals. The fossil
dates for these mammals post-date the first whales by many million of years.73

Mortenson statement that science places insects before
mammals is also correct. Science places the first insects in the Devonian
Period, about 400 million years ago,74 and the first mammals in
the Triassic Period, about 250 million years ago. Does this conflict with
the Bible? No. The Bible does not specify when insects were created. Mortenson assumes insects are included with the birds God created on the
fifth “day.” The Hebrew word meanings do not support that interpretation.

Mortenson states that sciences places land mammals
before bats. This is correct. Science places the first mammals in the
Triassic Period, about 250 million years ago, and the first bats in the
Cretaceous Period, about 80 to 100 million years ago.75 Does this
conflict with the Bible? No. Mortenson assumes bats are included with the
birds created on the fifth “day.” This is possible but not required by the
Hebrew word meanings. However, assuming that is the case, the advanced land
mammals God created on the sixth “day” would have appeared in the upper
Tertiary Period, about 30 million years ago, long after the first bats.

Mortenson correctly states that science places
dinosaurs before dolphins. Science places the first dinosaurs in the
Triassic Period, about 248 million years ago, and the first dolphins in the
Miocene Era, about 24 million years ago.76 Does this conflict
with the Bible? No. The Bible does not specify when dinosaurs were created.
Mortenson assumes dinosaurs are included with the land creatures created on
the sixth “day.” The Hebrew word meanings do not support that
interpretation.

Mortenson also correctly states that science places
land reptiles before pterosaurs (prehistoric flying reptiles). Science
places the first reptiles in the Carboniferous Period, about 320 million
years ago, and the first pterosaurs in the Triassic Period, about 225
million years ago.77 Does this conflict with the Bible? No.
Mortenson assumes pterosaurs are included with the birds created on the
fifth “day.” The Hebrew word meanings do not support that interpretation. It
should be noted, however, the advanced land mammals God created on the sixth
“day” appeared long after the first pterosaurs.

Finally, Mortenson states that science places land
insects before flying insects. This is also correct. Science places the
first land insects in the Devonian Period, about 400 million years ago, and
the first winged insects in the Carboniferous Period, about 320 million
years ago.78 Does this conflict with the Bible? No. Mortenson
assumes flying insects are included with the birds created on the fifth
“day” and land insects with the land creatures on the sixth “day.” The
Hebrew word meanings do not support that interpretation.

Admittedly, much of the scientific view of the
appearance of sea and land animals is influenced by Darwinian evolution.
However, that is not reason to reject mainstream science. Looking at the
data objectively, the scientific view of the timing of the sea and land
creatures does not contradict the Bible. As has been shown, a close
examination of the facts of science and Hebrew word meanings of the
narratives of the fifth and six “days” can resolve supposed conflicts.

ANIMAL DEATH

Mortenson claims the Bible teaches there was no animal
death before man was created. He gives the impression this comes from order
of events recorded in Genesis 1. It does not. It is based entirely on the
young-earth view of the Fall (Adam and Eve’s sin in Genesis 3). Young-earth
creationists contend animal death was not part of the original creation but
something God introduced as a consequence for Adam and Eve’s sin. It is
beyond the scope of this paper to provide a lengthy analysis of this
theology. For those who desire such a review, many good resources are
available.79 However, I will briefly comment on this issue.

Young-earth creationists maintain there have been two
physical existences on the Earth. Prior to Adam and Eve’s sin, paradise
literally existed on earth–there was no disease, decay or animal death.
Then, at the Fall, God changed the creation from a perfect place to a fallen
one that included those things. However, nowhere does the Bible indicate the
world God created was different than ours. Indeed, the Bible tells us the
creation was earthly by nature (1 Corinthians 15:46) and not heavenly (1
Corinthians 15:50).80

Some Christians point to Genesis 1:31–“God saw all that
He had made, and it was very good.” They argue God would call a creation
that included animal death “very good.” However, we must be careful not to
put too much weight on our ideas of what “good” means. The Bible does not
tell us the creation was perfect. The Hebrew word for good, towb,
connotes a practical or economic benefit.81 Thus, the creation
was “very good” for achieving God’s goals for mankind–namely, to allow
rational, morally free agents to come into existence and make free choices
to love and obey God and be in relationship with Him.82 Animal
death in no way conflicts with that goal.

It is important to examine what happened at the Fall
(Genesis 3:14-19). The reality is God judged only those who had sinned. The
serpent would crawl on his belly and be bruised on the head by the seed of
the woman. Eve was judged by having more pain in childbirth. Adam was judged
by having to work harder for his food because the ground would no longer
freely give its’ fruit. There were no other judgments because all the guilty
parties were punished.83 Nothing in this passage states or
implies the judgment included the imposition of animal death.

It is also important to keep in mind that Adam and Eve
were not created immortal. Eternal life was only available to them through
the supernatural “tree of life.” If they were not immortal, then the animals
were not immortal either. Unlike Adam and Eve, however, the animals did not
have access to the “tree of life” and had no way to avoid death.84
Also consider God’s warning to Adam that, if he ate from the tree of good
and evil, he would surely die (Genesis 2:17). Unless Adam understood the
concept of physical death, there was hardly any point in telling him the
consequence of disobedience would be death. Only animal death would have
provided Adam an adequate example of what “death” meant.85

Finally, the Bible tells us that God’s creative
activity ceased on the seventh “day.” Genesis 2:1 states: “Thus the
heavens and the earth were completed…” The Hebrew word for completed (kalah)
means to bring a process to completion.86 The following verse
tells us God rested from all His work. The Hebrew word for rested, shabat,
means to cease, desist and put an end to.87 This clearly
indicates God’s creative activity had ended. There is nothing in Scripture
that suggests God created carnivores, or changed herbivores to carnivores,
after the Fall. Hence, it is reasonable to conclude they were part of the
original creation.

There are several problems with the young-earth view of
the relationship between sin, death and the atonement. First, although human
death is linked with human sin, it moves beyond the clear teaching of
Scripture to claim all death is the result of human sin. Second, since
animals are amoral creatures that are incapable of sinning, it is an
unwarranted extrapolation to extend the consequences of human sin to them.
Third, and most important, while it is true there is no remission of sin
without the shedding of blood, Christ’s blood, it does not follow that there
could have been no bloodshed before sin.88

Conclusion

The message and purpose of Genesis 1 is the revelation
of the one true God who created all things and ever keeps the universe under
his sovereign control. The second major aspect of Genesis 1 is the
revelation God brought forth His creation in an orderly and systematic
manner.89 It is a historical account that can and should be taken
literally. However, the text does not provide all the details of exactly how
God did everything. We can speculate about the missing details only if we
approach the text with the respect it deserves, neither minimizing the
message nor twisting it to promulgate our personal views.

In his passion to refute old-earth creationism,
Mortenson presents his young-earth interpretations of Genesis 1 as biblical
facts and criticizes old-earth creationists–calling them “evolutionized
Christians” who play “fast and loose with the sacred text.” A better
approach to the age of the Earth debate is to avoid name calling and examine
arguments on both sides of the issue to see whether they are biblically
defensible.

As we study the text of Genesis 1, we have a
responsibility to ascertain as clearly as possible what God meant by the
language He guided His inspired prophet to employ.90 This
requires that we go beyond the English translations of the text–no matter
how well those translations seem to fit our personal view of Genesis 1–and
carefully examine the text in the original Hebrew. When we do, we see the
supposed conflict between Genesis 1 and the factual data of science does not
exist.91 Rather than contradicting Genesis 1, science underscores
the veracity of the Bible.

Christians have nothing to fear when it comes to
old-earth science. Since God is truth, we can be confident the facts of
nature will always agree with the facts of the Bible. When we take the time
to properly understand the two, we can see the revelation of God’s world
agrees perfectly with the revelation of God’s word.